Gwanak-gu is rolling out its 2026 Residential Space Styling Service project, combining job creation for women who left the workforce with improvements to the living conditions of multicultural and low-income households.
This year, District Mayor Park Jun-hee drew attention by personally visiting the front lines of the initiative. On Thursday afternoon, Park visited a multicultural family in Nakseongdae-dong to inspect the residential space styling service in action, encouraging both the beneficiary household and the on-site service team.
At the site, Park received a briefing on the project's progress from Gwanak Job Happiness Co., the agency carrying out the program, and observed the organizing and storage work up close while gathering firsthand feedback from the team.
The residential space styling service — one of the district's signature lifestyle-oriented policies — gives women whose careers were interrupted by childcare and household duties a chance to re-enter the workforce as professional organizers, while at the same time supporting vulnerable households that struggle to improve their living environments.
This year's program runs from April through October. The district hired a total of 10 staff — two administrative workers and eight service workers — and plans to provide professional organizing services to 80 households across the district. So far, pre-inspection visits have been completed at 30 households and full organizing services at 14, keeping the project on track.
The district mayor's visit also carried added significance as it coincided with the first anniversary of Gwanak Job Happiness Co. Established by Gwanak-gu in July last year, the agency specializes in job creation and has been at the forefront of developing tailored employment opportunities for vulnerable groups, including senior citizens and career-interrupted women.
Marking its first anniversary, the agency has created a total of 48 jobs as of June, including those generated through the residential space styling service project.
Beyond that, the agency runs a range of other ventures. Revenue-generating activities include selling locally distinctive products and operating the Ganggamchan Cafe inside the district office, while joint-commission projects cover a local brand development program on Sharosugil and cleaning services for administrative properties — all contributing to building a local employment base and improving residents' quality of life.
The district plans to continue identifying and pursuing lifestyle-oriented job programs that residents can feel the direct benefits of.
"Employment is the greatest form of welfare," Park said. "We will continue to create quality jobs for those who face barriers to employment and pursue a wide range of job policies that genuinely help our residents, so that Gwanak becomes a place where people are happy and live well."
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